Cowes Combined Clubs, the organisers of Skandia Cowes Week, have confirmed that Peter Harrison has accepted a challenge laid down by Kit Hobday to match-race Harrison’s Farr 52 Chernikeeff against Tim Louis and Kit Hobday’s Bear of Britain during Skandia Cowes Week (August 2-9).

The match-racing is scheduled to take place as soon as the RYS line is clear of the daily racing (between 1700-1800) and will be staged over the course of three evenings during the Week.

Part of the challenge from Hobday is that the series loser hands over £5,000 to the Skandia Cowes Week Official Charity, Sail4Cancer. This is a poignant move, given that Hobday is himself fighting cancer.